2020-01-01_ABC_Organic_Gardener

60

ORGANIC HVEST

FERMNTD CU
BERS

You can make pickled cucumbers using vinegar and

salt, and perhaps even some sugar, but fermenting

them adds a whole new layer of complexity. We add

vine leaves or tea leaves to the mix to help stop them

going too soft. Try this with zucchini in the peak of

the season if you’re running out of ways to use them.

Ma500g

500g small pickling cucumbers

30g salt

1 grapevine leaf, well washed (or use ¼ teaspoon

black tea leaves)

1 teaspoon dill seeds (optional)

1. Scrub the cucumbers well and, if they’re tiny, use
   them whole. If they are bigger, slice them, or cut into
   chunks about 3cm (1¼ in) long and about 1cm (½ in)
   or so wide, making sure each piece has skin attached.


2. Place the cucumbers in a large, sterilised sealable
   pickling jar (glass is great because it doesn’t react),
   or in two or three jars if that’s all you’ve got. Make
   sure they’re wide-mouthed jars, and leave room at
   the top for the liquid.


3. Heat 2 cups water, the salt and vine leaf in a
   saucepan over a moderate heat, whisking just until
   he salt has dissolved. Spoon dill seeds over, if using,
   nd when water has cooled enough so you can hold
   e pan with your hand, pour the pickling liquid over
   e cucumbers until they are well covered. You can
   eigh them down with a smaller jar if necessary so the
   ucumber is under the liquid. Cover with a clean cloth
   o insects can’t get in but air can. Leave in a warm,
   ut not sunny, place for a few days to ferment. It can
   tart to fi zz in a day or two, but will take about a
   eek to fully ferment. Taste it every day to see how
   ’s going, because once it’s reached the fl avour you
   ant, it’s important to get it into the fridge.
   . Once the cucumbers reach the desired fl avour
   a bit sour, with a salty tang, and some subtle
   nkiness along with the sweetness of the original
   uit), cover tightly with the lid and place in the
   idge. They are still a fresh product, and are
   est consumed within a month.
   . Use with salami, in sandwiches with pastrami
   r cheese, or use in a goulash.

This is an edited extract

from The Commons by

Matthew Evans with

photography by Alan

Benson, published by

Hardie Grant Books,

RRP $60.

Fruit

Vegta

AVOCADO

BANANA

BLUEBERRY

CHERRY

DRAGONFRUIT

MANGO

MULBERRY

PAWPAW

PLUM

STRAWBERRY

H 

in season

PHOTOS: ALAN BENSON

CORIANDER

DILL

FRENCH TARRAGON

GARDEN SORREL

ITALIAN PARSLEY

ROCKET

THYME

WATERCRESS

ASIAN GREENS

ASPARAGUS

BEANS

BEETROOT

BROCCOLI

CARROT

CELERY

CHERRY TOMATO

CUCUMBER

GARLIC

GLOBE

ARTICHOKE

LEEK

LETTUCE

ONION

RADISH

RHUBARB

SILVERBEET

TURNIP

ZUCCHINI